In this post, we will discuss Step by step guide to using a powerful Hypnotic Process that can help your clients who struggle with suppressed emotions resulting from their inability to express themselves to a specific person in their life.
The technique that we are going to look at is generally known as Hypnodrama.
Now before we go ahead, you know that a small action on your part can help others learn from this post as well, right?
Information required before starting Hypnodrama
Before you start the Hypnodrama process, you need to collect the following details from your clients.
- Name of the person to that they have difficulty expressing themselves to
- Emotions that they experience when they think of this person
- Brief description of the place where the client wants to express to the other person and also vent out all the suppressed emotions
- New emotion that the client would like to feel the person from here onwards
- Brief description of the past event when the client experienced the new replacement emotion
- 3 future events where the client will interact with this person
Step by Step guide to using Hypnodrama with Clients
- Anchor the new replacement emotion that the client would like to experience with the person from here onwards. Use the past experience that the client has shared with you to help them anchor the emotion. If you are not sure how to do that, you can check out our blog on a step-by-step process to use anchors with clients.
- Test the anchor
- Inducing a Hypnotic process state and asking the client to imagine themselves in the place and use the description of the place that the client provided during the interview
- Ask the client to invite the other person into the room and then go ahead and express themselves to the person exactly the way they would like to. Suggest to the client that while they express themselves, they are also venting out all their emotions to make the venting out process more vivid and more powerful. Ask the client to let you know once they have expressed themselves and released the emotions completely.
- Ask the client to thank the other person for help in the process and then request them to step out of the room.
- Ask the client to use the anchor we installed earlier and experience the anchored emotion fully. Suggest that the empty space created by the exit of earlier emotions is being filled with this new emotion as it spread to all parts of their body and mind.
- Once the client can feel a new emotion fully, future pace the 3 events that the client had shared where they will interact with this person in the future. Repeat the future pacing multiple times, at least 3 rounds while using the anchor but still feeling the new emotions.
- Wake up the client and create a braking state.
- Ask the client to test the events that have been future-paced by closing their eyes and imagining themselves in different situations with the same person in the future and to let you know how are they feeling in their imagination. The client would generally tell you that they are experiencing the new replacement emotion.
- Ask them to observe the changes they notice in their life in the coming days and then report to you in the next session, what changes they have noticed.
Integrating Hypnodrama with other techniques
You can integrate the Hypnodrama process with cord cutting, inner child, n-step reframing, and revelation metaphor to name a few depending upon what comes up in the session and the overall objective of the session.
You may even need to follow up with the perceptual position process or the Paris window in case even after venting out the emotions if the client is experiencing difficulty understanding the person or making a decision about how they would like to proceed going forward with this person.
Learn Hypnodrama under supervision
In case you are a practicing psychologist who likes to learn these techniques under supervision and guidance then do check out the Cognitive Hypnotic Psychotherapy Diploma. You will not just learn Hypnodrama and a lot more but also how to integrate multiple techniques seamlessly as a part of a comprehensive eclectic approach to therapy.
